System and method for connecting analog telephones and facsimile machines to the internet

Abstract

An Internet communication control apparatus and its transmission control method is provided, to which communication terminals such as facsimile apparatuses and/or telephones are connected, that is connected to the Internet to perform transmission/reception with other communication terminals. When an off-hook state of a connected communication terminal is detected upon transmitting, a setting for dial tone signal reception is prepared, and the received signals are converted to a destination number. By checking the corresponding table, the destination number is converted into a destination address, and according to the content of the table, whether the communication is for facsimile transmission or telephone call is determined. According to the result of the determination, a facsimile process or telephone process is selectively performed so that the transmission operation does not seem abnormal and complicated.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An Internet communication control apparatus that is connected to a facsimile apparatus and a communication terminal including a telephone, and is connected to an Internet, and that performs a transmission and a reception via a destination terminal and Internet, the Internet communication control apparatus comprising: 
       a table configured to store a destination number and a destination address in association with each other;  
       a converter configured to convert a DTMF signal received from the communication terminal into a destination number; and  
       a controller configured to refer to the table, to output a destination address from the converted destination number, and to determine whether the destination terminal is one of a facsimile apparatus and a telephone; wherein  
       the controller performs one of a facsimile transmission process and a telephone communication process according to a result of the determination.  
     
     
       2. The Internet communication control apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the table comprises a facsimile table and a telephone table. 
     
     
       3. The Internet communication control apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the controller determines whether the destination terminal is one of the facsimile apparatus and the telephone, based on the table that includes the destination number. 
     
     
       4. The Internet communication control apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the table stores a mail address as a destination address, when the destination is a facsimile apparatus, and stores an IP address as a destination address, when the destination is a telephone. 
     
     
       5. The Internet communication control apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the controller determines whether the destination terminal is one of the facsimile apparatus and the telephone, based on the destination address that is stored in the table. 
     
     
       6. An Internet communication control method for an Internet communication control apparatus that is connected to a facsimile apparatus and a communication terminal including a telephone, and is connected to an Internet, and that performs transmission and reception via a destination terminal and Internet, the Internet communication control apparatus having a table that stores a destination number and a destination address in association with each other, the Internet communication control method comprising: 
       converting a DTMF signal received from the communication terminal into a destination number;  
       outputting the destination address from the converted destination number by referring to the table;  
       determining whether the destination terminal is one of a facsimile apparatus and a telephone, based on the table; and  
       performing one of a facsimile transmission process and a telephone communication process according to a result of the determination.  
     
     
       7. A communication control apparatus, selectively connected to a facsimile apparatus and a communication terminal including a telephone, that performs a transmission and a reception via a destination terminal, the communication control apparatus comprising: 
       a table configured to store a destination number and a destination address in association with each other;  
       a converter configured to convert a DTMF signal received from the communication terminal into a destination number; and  
       a controller configured to refer to the table, to output a destination address from the converted destination number, and to determine whether the destination terminal is one of a facsimile apparatus and a telephone, wherein said communication control apparatus is interposed between an Internet access point and said selectively connected facsimile transmission apparatus and communication terminal.  
     
     
       8. The Internet communication control apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the table comprises a facsimile table and a telephone table. 
     
     
       9. The Internet communication control apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the controller determines whether the destination terminal is one of the facsimile apparatus and the telephone, based on the table that includes the destination number. 
     
     
       10. The Internet communication control apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the table stores a mail address as a destination address, when the destination is a facsimile apparatus, and stores an IP address as a destination address, when the destination is a telephone. 
     
     
       11. The Internet communication control apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the controller determines whether the destination terminal is one of the facsimile apparatus and the telephone, based on the destination address that is stored in the table.